Wildstylez & Aftershock

Some artists you recognize from afar. Musicians that have created a unique style of their own, breaking free from current trends to follow a path they pave solely on their own. Wildstylez is one of these. A DJ and producer who has never been afraid to do what he wanted, with no fear of the unknown and as a result has succeeded in taking Hardstyle to another level.

Born in 1983 in the small village of Veendendaal, Joram Metekohy - the artist best known as Wildstylez - discovered Hardstyle in the early Noughties, an energetic, fraternizing genre that can be found in many different guises. Perhaps it’s the different bands he has performed in or just his preference for songs with vocals –but Wildstylez has worked tirelessly to turn the genre on its head and create his own distinctive brand.

Crossing borders

Ever since his early days as producer Metekohy has been known for twisting familiar sounds into something truly extraordinary. Listen to ‘Keep Your Head Up’, one of Joram’s first releases and see that what is seemingly just an ordinary Hardstyle track is suddenly interjected by a Hawaiian inspired steel drum break, demonstrating the classic and unique way in which Joram approaches each and every one of his productions.

It is this approach that shows how Wildstylez continues to effortlessly cross musical borders, not just as a solo artist, but also collaborating with some of Hardstyle’s biggest names. Whether it’s his work with Project One, a legendary collab with Headhunterz in 2008 or joining forces with Brennan Heart in 2012 to produce ‘Lose My Mind’, a vocal-led dance floor banger which still remains to this day a timeless anthem of the Hardstyle generation, it is clear to see why Wildstylez is widely considered to be one of the most influential names in the game.

Year Of Summer

What follows surpasses everything. Fascinated by the use of vocals and gripping melodies in his music, Metekohy seeks the help of Dutch singer and songwriter Niels Geusebroek. Known for his band Silkstone as well as TV talent show Voice Of Holland, despite his self-confessed limited knowledge of Hardstyle, Geusebroek rises to the challenge, delivering a breathtaking vocal for Joram’s defining track ‘Year Of Summer.’ Bridging the gap between dance floor and radio - a first for any Hardstyle track – ‘Year of Summer’ achieves Platinum status thus elevating Wildstylez from a leading artist in the Hardstyle scene to a prominent figure in the dance music world.

Conquer the world

With the unbelievable success of ‘Year of Summer’ Wildstylez’s career rapidly gathers pace. Completely selling out one of Amsterdam’s largest and most iconic

venues Heineken Music Hall with his solo-show X-Qlusive Wildstylez, scoring another incredible hit with ‘Timeless’, not to mention touring racking up dates across Australia, Asia, America and South America, Joram is also called upon for remix duties for the likes of Hardwell, John Digweed and Nicky Romero, thus aligning himself with some of the most influential names in electronic music.

Lose Control

In June this year, Wildstylez released his first solo album ‘Lose Control’. Despite not originally setting out to make an album, after noticing the constant change that Hardstyle was undergoing, Joram realized that he was at a point where he needed to reinvent himself. Looking back to some of his older, unfinished material, he holed himself away in the studio and consequently ‘Lose Control’ began to take shape. Released on his own label of the same name, the critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lose Control’ has since been causing a storm amongst talent and tastemakers alike.

Next Steps

So what’s next for Wildstylez? With Hardstyle becoming increasingly influential everywhere including the burgeoning EDM scene in the US, it would seem that Wildstylez is the natural choice to keep building new bridges between these harder styles and other genres of electronic music. With both feet firmly on the ground, Wildstylez’s mission is clear, to remain loyal to Hardstyle itself whilst keeping an open mind, breaking down preconceived boundaries and conquering the world in his own special way. Watch this space.